A successful summer for my Bluebirds ...

Bluebird Box #1 (backyard)

The fledglings left the nest on July 8 - two successful broods this summer for this pair of Bluebirds.
The fledglings from the first brood were still hanging around the back yard up until a day or two before the second brood fledged. One evening I saw what looked like "play" with the fledglings and one of the bluebirds.  They were hopping and flying around each other on the fence - maybe Mr. Blue was gently trying to tell them it was time to move on.

Mr.. Bluebird - constantly on the look out for predators

One last feeding before they fledged

Fledgling getting ready to take it's first flight!

Bluebird Box #2  (front garden)

Lady Blue #2 has begun to incubate her second brood - 3 eggs at last peek.    

Summary: 17 baby blues !

 Last summer, when the bluebird box  was on the fence (I was a novice)  I only had one successful brood (and apparently that's the norm: usually  about a 50% success rate with each attempt).   Placing the boxes on the poles with predator guards, making it difficult for snakes and racoons to get to them,  definitely improves the probability of success ,

Yeah, little Bluebirds ! I am looking forward to the winter when I will feed them again and hopefully see many of the 17 fledglings   and their parents at the feeder.  

Fledglings leave the nest, eggs hatch, nest building begins

A busy time at Union Hill 

Bluebird Box #2

June has been a busy month on my one acre.  The fledglings left the nest (box#2) on June 12 - I was gone most of the day so only saw a couple of them leave.  The others checked out while I wasn't looking.  Mom and Pop have been busy feeding them but at the same time keeping one eye on their box.  Dad returns every few days to perch on it  for a little while as if to let all other prospective tenants know that this is his property.
Yesterday nest building started again - 16 days after the fledglings left the nest, .   I haven't seen the fledglings from this brood yet.  I don't feed this couple so there's no coming back everyday for meal worms. This box is a box of their choosing - without any coaxing from a human - it feels good to know they're having a successful breeding season without any interference from me.

Box #2 and nest #2

Bluebird Box #1

Life is also busy around this box.  The chicks from brood #2 hatched on June 20 (all five of them) and Mom and Pop have been busy feeding them.  The little fledglings from brood #1 still visit my back yard often.  They continue to perch on top of the box and only get chased away when they try to take a peek inside the hole.  Eventually I'm sure they'll be encouraged to find their own territory. 

Eggs hatched in box #2 - and eggs laid in box #1

Bluebird Box #2

My front yard Bluebirds are busy feeding their growing chicks in box #2 and I'm expecting them to leave the nest in the next couple of days.  No signs yet of them popping up at the hole to check out the world beyond the box,  but I'm not sure exactly when they hatched.  They usually leave the nest by day 17 and I'm thinking that must be quite close.

Bluebird Box #1

The fledglings have now been out of the box for 1 month and Lady Blue has just started to incubate 5 new little bluebird eggs.  The photos below were taken yesterday - two of the fledglings snuggling on top of the box, and probably remembering how close they used to be in the box ......so endearing :)

Fledglings - one month out of the nest

"Remember when we lived in this box".......

Freshly laid eggs - ready for brood #2

You can't help but be captivated by these little birds ......

Overdue Update .... Nest box #1 and #2

There has been a lot of activity around my two bluebird nest boxes during the past 2 weeks.  I'm happy to say that all 5 fledglings left nest box #1 on May 11.  I was fortunate enough to see 2 leave in the morning and 2 stragglers much later in the day.  I was gone for several hours in between so I'm assuming #3 left  during my absence,  Since then Mom and Pop have been feeding the little ones high in the tree tops behind my house.  I put a few meal worms out each morning and Lady Blue usually comes for them, and with her beak full flies off in the direction of the tree they're in.

The past couple of days I've seen a couple of the fledglings follow Lady Blue to the meal worm feeder.  They perch and then fly away quickly so I wasn't able to get any photos.  Today though they perched for a longer period of time and I was able to get a couple   .....

Blue Bird Fledgling

This cute little fledgling is 2 weeks old and still dependent on it's parents for food, but not for long.  Soon it will be getting it's own insects and worms and Mom and Pop will start building a new nest and start all over again with brood #2. 

NEST BOX  #2

Four eggs were laid in nest box #2.   Lady Blue #2 has been incubating them for the past 14 days and  I think they may have  hatched yesterday as both Mom and Pop have been going in and out of the box. I'll try and sneak a peek tomorrow while Lady Blue is out of the box and maybe get a photo.. 

Peeking out... and a little blue egg

Today the baby blues in box #1 have spent a lot of time looking at the world outside of their box . I think they will fledge tomorrow. It's going to be close to 90 degrees here so it's going to get very hot in that little box with those five growing little birds.  When they spread their wings Lady Blue will lead them to a branch under a canopy of protective leaves high in a tree close by.  They will stay in  that location for a couple of weeks and will continue to be fed by their parents.

One of five little Bluebirds peeking out of the box

And we have one egg in box #2....  hopefully she will lay 3 or 4 more over the next few days.

Front garden Bluebirds ..............

Bluebird couple #2

Bluebird couple #2 are busy constructing a nest.  The female builds while the male stays close protecting the box and encouraging her.
It looks like the nest may be complete in a couple of days and then she will lay the eggs - about the same time that the baby bluebirds will leave Bluebird Box #1.

Male checking on the progress

The new box is close to my Magnolia tree which is full of bloom buds.  The photographer in me is envisioning some beautiful shots of the bluebirds on the box with a backdrop of magnificent Magnolia blossoms.

One pine needle at a time 

The nest is about half done - it can take 3-4 days to complete

Bluebird couple #2 ......

For the past couple of weeks I've heard a Bluebird singing his "I'm looking for a mate song", and then I saw him in my front garden, so I put up another box. Within a few hours of the box going up he was showing it off to a female . They are still in the courting phase.  He brings her worms to eat and she inspects the box .....no nesting building yet but I think it will be soon.

Bluebird couple #2

She's in and out - checking the hole size I guess !

He's also checking ...... 

Weekly Update......

The baby bluebirds are now 9 or 10 days old,  Mom and Pop are on a busy feeding schedule - in and out of the box with food all day long.   Early each morning I put about a dozen meal worms in the dish by their box, then the feeding frenzies begins!  The photo below was taken as Lady Blue leaves the nest after delivering her mealworms and Mr. Blue is about to take his in.....

Nothing more exciting than a mealworm delivery !

What a difference a day can make .......

Five little one day old Chickadee chicks

 I began to notice more activity around the chickadees nest yesterday and sure enough the eggs had hatched - all five of them.  There's also a mocking bird that perches close to the Chickadees nest box.  I've seen him chase off big crows but I've also seen him chase off the Chickadees - not a good thing.  It's a tough world out there for these little birds.






 Lady Blue was still incubating the eggs this morning, then this afternoon while making lunch at my kitchen window (perfect timing!)  I noticed Mr. Blue fly into the nest box leaving behind what looked like a grasshopper caught in the hole.  It didn't stay stuck very long - one yank and it was in the box! Next came a flurry of activity - both birds in and out and that's when I snapped the photo of them exiting and entering at the same time !!  They are so fascinating to watch . Definitely eggs hatching, and both wanted to see .....  

Excuse me......coming through !

Later in the day I also had to take a peek.  There wasn't much activity - just fresh from their eggs - but tomorrow I'm sure it will be a different story.

Little Bluebirds - just a few hours old

Still incubating..... Bluebirds and Chickadees

I checked the Chickadees nest box yesterday and it's still home to  5 little speckled eggs.  The chickadees' comings and goings are hard for me to follow as their box is at the front of the house and not visible from my kitchen window where I observe most of the bird activity in my back yard.  But after seeing the eggs in the box I sat and watched for a while and sure enough a little Chickadee flew back to continue the incubation.  The incubation period for Chickadees is 12-13 days - about the same time as  Bluebirds so I may have babies in both boxes about the same time.  

Lady Blue still incubating her eggs

Chickadee

I thought I'd post a photograph of a Chickadee while waiting for the eggs to hatch but don't have many to choose from - probably because they flit and fly so quickly.  But I did find these taken during the ice storm in February, and coincidentally, a photo of both a chickadee and bluebird on the same feeder ................
I wonder if these two  are part of the nesting pairs today :

Chickadee and Bluebird 

When I first became interested in the amazing little Bluebirds I read many times that they seldom come to feeders (except for those with mealworms) so this winter, during a sudden onset ice storm, I was surprised to see them enjoying the nuts and berries in the mixed bird food.......and also the peanut suet !

Eggs in the nests..... and other signs of Spring

Five speckled Chickadee eggs

Chickadee nest ......

Five Bluebird eggs

Bluebird nest...













And the little Hummingbirds are back - perching quite contentedly on my deck furniture 

Ruby Throat Hummingbird

And a proud little Mr. Bluebird surveying his territory from the popular peachtree stump.

Mr Blue 

Serious Nest Building .....

My bluebird couple started building their nest about 5 days ago, but only a couple of pine needles a day.  Today, things changed.  Lady Blue was in and out of the nest with pine needles and Daddy Blue was close by supervising and encouraging .......I saw him fly into the box with a bug in his mouth for Lady B but she wasn't in the box. And when he came out she had a mouthful of pine needles!! I guess he ate the bug !!

After the wasp ..…..the bluebirds return

The male Bluebird came by this morning to check the nest for wasps. After he gave the all clear Lady B appeared.  

She cautiously peeked inside.....and then ventured in.  I hope she likes it well enough to build a nest.

  







As a side note I did put meal worms out this morning  to encourage them after the wasp incident yesterday .  I didn't see the bluebirds in the feeder, but the worms disappeared  quickly.......... I'm amazed at how quickly the little chickadees and tufted titmouse  find them !!

Later in the day .....

The male checked the nest again this evening and then perched on a tree limb close to my house and the box - enjoying the early evening light and  guarding his territory. 
I'm not sure if this is my bluebird from last summer but he seems to like some of the same favorite perches.  

Wasp in the nest.....

This morning the pair of Bluebirds made their usual stop at the box..  But something didn't seem right.  He doesn't usually perch like this with his tail stiff on the box,  So I went out to take a peek and there was a wasp building a nest inside !! Not for long though - I wish I had taken a photo before I chased him out.  Hope the Bluebirds come back.  I seem to remember the same scenario last year and it didn't stop them, so I'm hopeful.

Loyalty...

I continue to be impressed by the loyalty of paired bluebirds to each other and their broods.  Their life centers around the family unit.  Something that a lot of the most intelligent animals on the planet have failed to assimilate.  Life lessons can be learned from Nature’s simplicity.

L.Dillon.  Bluebird Diary.

Last years  fledgling siblings returning home for a visit - January 2015

Bluebirds - Spring 2015

Sometimes we learn the hard way .....

 Last year I placed the nest box on the fence and  a raccoon stole all four chicks from the nest :( ....... so this year I moved it from the fence to a free standing pole with a predator guard.

A male bluebird claimed the box a few weeks ago and  has shown it to a few females (or it may be the same pair that keep coming back ?? )  Today he placed a pine needle in the box to encourage a female to build the nest 

Lady Blue

The female usually has more than one nest site and suitor to choose from. Once she decides who and where then she alone will build the nest.  

Ever vigilant

The male frequently checks the box for any unwanted guests.